ASI Urged Federal Government to Ban Unprocessed Ferrous Scrap Metal Exports

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) reiterated its call to the federal government for a nation-wide ban on exports of unprocessed ferrous scrap metals. It noted that local scrap processing will deliver notable environmental and economic opportunities for the country.

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According to Mark Cain, Chief Executive, ASI, the country’s steel mills are being forced to import processed ferrous scrap for steelmaking, when ii is in a position to use locally processed scrap. As per recent estimates, Australia exports approximately 1.07 million tonnes of unprocessed ferrous scrap every year.

A national ban on exports is expected to add approximately 800,000 tonnes of supply of processed scrap to domestic market. Furthermore, it will help in reducing the steel sector GHG emissions by approximately 1.5 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent in the near term, Cain added.

The Commonwealth’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 bans exports of unprocessed tyres, glass and plastic. ASI noted that inclusion of unprocessed ferrous scrap metal to the list of banned waste exports, by making change to the existing Commonwealth legislation, would result in reducing emissions significantly.